System and method of constructing a composite assembly

ABSTRACT

A composite assembly includes a series of elongated layers joined lengthwise thereof. At least two of the elongated layers each have an upper elongated portion and a lower elongated portion secured together in an end-to-end relationship at a joint therebetween by a connector arrangement. The upper elongated portion is constructed of a wood material, and the lower elongated portion is constructed of a non-wood material. The lower elongated portion may have a reinforcing rod therein.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present utility application relates to and claims priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/562,054 filed Dec. 5, 2014, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/912,681filed Dec. 6, 2013, incorporated in entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a composite assembly for use in theconstruction industry. More specifically, the present disclosure relatesto a composite assembly particularly constructed in a layeredarrangement with wood and non-wood elongated members joined in anend-to-end relationship.

BACKGROUND

In the construction of buildings, outdoor structures or the like, it isoften desirable to utilize a beam or column which includes a pluralityof boards, rather than an integral post made from a single piece ofbuilding material such as wood. Many embodiments of composite assembliesuse one or more connectors to connect the plurality of component boardsinto the composite assembly. The composite assembly made from aplurality of boards can serve as a less expensive substitute forintegral posts made from a single piece of wood, which can be quiteexpensive. It is not uncommon for building materials to increaseexponentially in cost for every increase in length or width of thebuilding material piece.

It is known to provide a composite assembly comprised of a series ofelongated layers secured together lengthwise thereof with each layerincluding an upper elongated support member joined to a lower elongatedground-engaging member at a joint by a connector device. In such acomposite assembly, the upper elongated member is normally constructedof a non-treated wood, and the lower elongated member is typicallyfabricated of a treated wood. Such treated wood is infused with achemical, such as chromated copper arsenate (CCA), to prevent thenatural process of decay of the ground-engaging wood. While such acomposite assembly is acceptable in commercial building application, theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned the use of wood as usedin the ground-engaging lower portion of the composite assembly for mostresidential use.

BRIEF DISCLOSURE

Therefore, Applicant has developed a composite assembly which iscompliant with EPA regulations for use in residential application, andwhich is disclosed herein. The composite assembly is adapted for use asa support column in a building structure, and is comprised of a seriesof layers joined together lengthwise thereof. At least two of theelongated layers each include an upper elongated portion and a lowerelongated portion secured together in an end-to-end relationship at ajoint therebetween by a connector arrangement. The upper elongatedportion is constructed of a first material comprised of wood, and thelower elongated portion is constructed of a second material comprised ofa material other than wood, such as plastic.

In one exemplary embodiment, the lower elongated portions are embodiedin separate, integrally formed segments. In another exemplaryembodiment, the lower elongated portions are jointly formed together ina unit.

In another exemplary embodiment, the composite assembly is adapted foruse as a support column in a building structure, and is comprised of aseries of layers joined together lengthwise thereof. At least two of theelongated layers each include an upper elongated portion secured to aunitary lower assembly in an end-to-end relationship at a jointtherebetween by a connector arrangement. The upper elongated portion isconstructed of a first material comprised of wood, and the unitary lowerassembly is constructed of a second material comprised of a materialother than wood, such as plastic. Each joint between the upper elongatedportion and the unitary lower assembly is staggered at different heightsrelative to one another.

In yet another embodiment, a composite assembly adapted for use as avertical support column in a building structure includes at least twoelongated layers joined together lengthwise thereof, including an upperelongated portion and a unitary lower assembly joined in an end-to-endrelationship by a connector arrangement. The unitary lower assemblyincludes at least one reinforcing rod. The upper elongated portion isconstructed of a first material comprised of wood, and the unitary lowerassembly is constructed of a second material other than wood, such asplastic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a dual sided connectorused in a composite assembly;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the dual sided connector;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the dual sided connector;

FIG. 4 is a close up view of an embodiment of a tooth pair of the dualsided connector;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a tooth pair of the dual sided connector;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a tooth pair of the dual sided connector;

FIG. 7 depicts a composite assembly comprising a dual sided connector;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a composite assembly comprising adual sided connector;

FIG. 9 is a front view of one embodiment of a composite assembly inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a front view of another embodiment of a composite assembly inaccordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a broken into front view of yet another embodiment of acomposite assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged detail view taken on line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a side view of a central elongated region of the compositeassembly shown in FIGS. 11 and 12;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 14-14 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a front view of a unitary lower assembly used in thecomposite assembly of FIG. 11;

FIG. 16 is a front view of an additional embodiment of a unitary lowerassembly;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged detail view taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 16;and

FIG. 19 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 20 is a front view of another embodiment of a unitary lowerassembly.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a unitary lowerassembly.

FIG. 22 is a front view of one embodiment of a composite assembly havinga unitary lower assembly in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Dual sided connectors and composite assemblies including dual sidedconnectors are disclosed herein. The dual sided connectors can be usedto interconnect a member of building material such as wood or woodcomposite timbers or boards in order to produce beams, columns, headers,trusses, or any other composite assemblies for use in the constructionof buildings or the like. Embodiments of the dual sided connector caninclude a base plate with a plurality of teeth extending outwardly fromthe base plate. The dual sided connector can be disposed between layersor plies of building material so that it bridges an inner portion of thebuilding material. When this assembly is compressed together, the teethengage the building material and are embedded in the building material.Thus, building material members are spliced together to form thecomposite assembly.

Composite assemblies formed using connector plates are economicalreplacements for the use of integral or one piece wooden beams orcolumns in building construction. The ability of a composite assembly tobe formed of smaller, and therefore cheaper, building material stockallows for the creation of a composite assembly of similar dimensionsand strength of an integral beam, at a fraction of the cost. Variouspatterns and orientations for the teeth of the connectors are known andtypically include teeth that enter a wooden component member parallel tothe wood grain or perpendicular to the wood grain. However, it has beendetermined that these tooth alignments are undesirable, and an improvedtooth arrangement is needed. Connector teeth that enter the woodparallel to the wood grain promote splitting of the wood along the woodgrain, while teeth that enter the wood perpendicular to the wood grainare often flattened upon insertion into the wood and therefore showreduced ability to be secured into the wood.

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a dual sided connector 10. The dualsided connector 10 comprises a base plate 12. The base plate 12 may beof a galvanized steel; however, the type of material for the base plate12 should not herein be limited to galvanized steel, but may alsoinclude any other suitable material that would be recognized by oneskilled in the art. A plurality of teeth including a first tooth 18 anda second tooth 20 extend outwardly from the base plate 12. The firsttooth 18 and the second tooth 20 form a tooth pair 22.

Referring to FIG. 3, the base plate 12 further includes a first surface24 and a second surface 26. The first tooth 18 and second tooth 20 forma tooth pair 22 that extends outwardly from the first surface 24 of thebase plate 12. A third tooth 28 and a fourth tooth 30 form a tooth pair32 that extends outwardly from the second surface 26 of the base plate12. Thus, tooth pair 22 extends in an opposite direction from the baseplate 12 than tooth pair 32 extends from the base plate 12.

In an embodiment, the outwardly extending teeth may be formed by diecutting the teeth from the material of base plate 12 through the use ofa punching mechanism using a die to cut the teeth from the base plate12. In these embodiments, the die may be formed to produce twistedteeth, as will be disclosed in greater detail herein, as the die passesthrough the base plate 12. The punching mechanism may be arranged suchthat a separate die or set of dies is used to punch the teeth extendingin each direction from the base plate 12. These teeth may be punchedsimultaneously or separately. As a result of the die cutting, someembodiments may include an opening 34 formed in the base plate 12 (asdepicted in FIGS. 1 and 2) where the material for each of the teeth wasremoved. Each tooth pair 22 is cut by a single die cut resulting in asingle opening 34 between the first tooth 18 and the second tooth 20 ofthe tooth pair 22.

It is understood that while for the sake of simplicity, first surface24, first tooth 18, second tooth 20, and tooth pair 22 are described infurther detail herein, the description is similarly applicable to thesecond surface 26, third tooth 28, fourth tooth 30, and tooth pair 32,projecting from the opposite side of base plate 12.

Referring to the embodiment of the dual sided connector 10 depicted inFIGS. 5 and 6, both the first tooth 18 and the second tooth 20 of toothpair 22 project outwardly from the base plate 12 in the same directionfrom the first surface 24. The first tooth 18 and second tooth 20 extendgenerally parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to the baseplate 12. The first tooth 18 and second tooth 20 are trapezoidal inshape with a base end 36 connected to the base plate 12 and an outwardlyextending end 38 away from the first surface 24. The outwardly extendingend 38 of the first tooth 18 terminates in a tip 40. The outwardlyextending end 38 of the second tooth 20 terminates in a tip 42. The tip40 and tip 42 may simply come to points, but also may be manufactured soas to be chiseled in profile. The tip 40 of the first tooth 18 matchesin height, the tip 42 of the second tooth 20.

The tip 42 of the second tooth 20 is offset from the tip 40 of the firsttooth 18, as seen in FIG. 6. Teeth 18 and 20 each have a vertical axis52 as will be described in further detail herein. The tips 40 and 42 maybe offset from each other at opposite sides of the vertical axis 52 oftheir respective tooth. Thus tip 40 is offset to one side of verticalaxis 52 and tip 42 is offset to the other side of vertical axis 52. Theoffset of tips 40 and 42 of this embodiment provide particularadvantages when the dual sided connector 10 is used to join two or moremembers of building material. One advantage is that the offset nature oftip 40 and tip 42 help to evenly balance each building material memberon the connector 10 and promote even insertion of the teeth (18, 20)into the building material members. Additionally, the tips (40, 42)reduce the force necessary to penetrate the building material member andhelp to reduce any instances of splitting in the building materialmembers as a result of the insertion of teeth into the building materialmembers.

The offset tips 40 and 42 provide an additional advantage inmanufacturing the dual sided connector 10. In this embodiment, a dieused to cut the tooth pair 22 can cut both the first tooth 18 and thesecond tooth 20 at the same time as the offset tips (40, 42) of thefirst and second teeth (18, 20) interlace in the die pattern. Thus onlya single die cut is needed to cut both the first tooth 18 and the secondtooth 20 including the tips (40, 42) of the teeth. Therefore, in someembodiments, the dual sided connector 10 may have the additional benefitof providing the presently disclosed features with a simplifiedmanufacturing process to make the dual sided connector 10.

Still referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the first tooth 18 and the secondtooth 20 are oriented in the tooth pair 22 such that each tooth has anelongated profile 44 and a narrow profile 46. In the tooth pair 22, theelongated profiles 44 of the teeth are parallel and face each other. Theelongated profiles 44 of the teeth promote gripping of the buildingmaterial upon insertion and the narrow profiles 46 of the tooth promoteinsertion of the tooth into the building material and reduced splittingof the building material.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the dual sided connector 10 is arranged witha plurality of tooth pairs 22 oriented in a series of rows 48. The rows48 are aligned on the base plate 12 perpendicular to the elongatedprofile 44 (See FIG. 6) of the teeth of the tooth pair 22. The pluralityof tooth pairs 22 in each of the rows 48 all extend outwardly from thefirst surface 24 of the base plate 12 in the same direction. The dualsided connector plate 10 is further arranged with a plurality of rows 50comprising tooth pairs 32 extending outwardly from the second surface 26of the base plate 12 and in the opposite direction from tooth pairs 22.Rows 50 are aligned on the base plate 12 in an alternating fashion withrows 48 alternatingly extending from the base plate 12 in the oppositedirection. The alternating rows 48 and 50 of outwardly extending toothpairs 22 and tooth pairs 32 in opposite directions promote an evendistribution of the tooth pairs (22, 32) extending from the firstsurface 24 and the second surface 26 of the base plate 12. Therefore,the teeth in rows 48 extend from the base plate 12 in one direction andthe teeth in rows 50 extend from the base plate 12 in the oppositedirection. Some embodiments of the dual sided connector 10 may featurerows 48 and 50 in which the tooth pairs (22, 32) in alternating rows(48,50) are offset, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The offset of opposingtooth pairs further improve the uniformity of the distribution of theteeth in the dual sided connector 10 and may promote additional supportand structural strength within the base plate 12.

Now referring to FIGS. 4-6, as mentioned previously, the first tooth 18and the second tooth 20 of the tooth pair 22 each comprise a verticalaxis 52 perpendicular to the base plate 12. The first tooth 18 and thesecond tooth 20 are twisted about this axis. Similar or matching twistsmay be placed in both the first tooth 18 and the second tooth 20 of thetooth pair 22. The twist angle 54 is generally between an angle of zeroand 45 degrees from normal. The twist angle 54 may be any angle withinthis range. In one embodiment, the angle is 20 degrees or less. Inanother embodiment, the angle is between 10 and 15 degrees. In anotherembodiment, the angle may be between zero and 10 degrees. In a furtherembodiment, the angle may be three degrees. The twists in the teeth (18,20) may be clockwise or counter clockwise, and may all be in the samedirection for all of the teeth. In alternative embodiments, the twistsin the teeth (18, 20) may be different for different individual teeth,or may be coordinated between tooth pairs 22, rows 48, 50 of toothpairs, or on each side of the dual sided connector 10. It should beunderstood that in embodiments wherein the tooth pair 22 is cut by adie, the die may be modified in order to produce the desired angle ofthe twist, or the orientation of the twist for the teeth in the toothpair 22.

The feature of the twisted teeth of the dual sided connector 10 provideadvantages in use and implementation of the dual sided connector 10 overprevious connector designs and implementations as will be described infurther detail herein.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the dual sided connector 10 may be used toconstruct a composite assembly 56 such as a beam, post, column, truss,or the like. The composite assembly 56 may be formed from a plurality ofelongated wood boards 58. In the embodiment disclosed in further detailherein the composite assembly 56 comprises a plurality of wood boards58; however, it is understood that other building material memberscomprising not only wood and wood composite boards, but engineeredboards, synthetic composite materials, or any other suitable buildingmaterials as recognized by one skilled in the art may be used. The woodboards 58 may be of varying lengths, but each has face 60 on oppositesides of the board 58 and each board 58 terminates in an end 62.

Wood boards 58 are disposed in an end-to-end relationship wherein theend 62 of one board 58 abuts an end 62 of a second board 58. The ends 62of the wood boards 58 meet to form a joint 68. The one or more woodboards 58 aligned in the end-to-end relationship form a first layer 64of the composite assembly 56. The composite assembly 56 may comprise aplurality of layers, depicted here as a second layer 72 and a thirdlayer 74. Each of the layers (64, 72, 74) are made up of at least onewood board 58 and it should be understood that the composite assembly 56may be made from any number of layers, from two or more.

The first layer 64 and the second layer 72 are aligned in a face-to-facerelationship wherein the faces 60 of the wood boards 58 in the firstlayer 64 are arranged to contact the faces 60 of one or more wood boards58 of the second layer 72. At least one of the layers, such as firstlayer 64, includes a plurality of wood boards 58. The joint 68 betweenthe wood boards 58 of the layer 64 is secured using one side of the dualsided connector 10 as disclosed herein to connect the wood board 58 tothe other wood board 58 across the joint 68.

In implementation, the composite assembly 56 is formed by aligning adual sided connector 10 across the joint 68 of two boards 58 in thefirst layer 64. In one embodiment, the dual sided connector 10 isaligned so that half of the tooth pairs 32 on the second surface 26 ofthe dual sided connector 10 are arranged over one of the wood boards 58of the first layer 64 and the other half of the tooth pairs 32 on thesecond surface 26 of the dual sided connector 10 are arranged over theother wood board 58 of the first layer 64. Thus, the dual sidedconnector 10 is evenly arranged over the joint 68.

The second layer 72 includes at least one wood board 58 and is arrangedover the top of the dual sided connector 10. A single wood board 58 ofthe second layer 72 is placed in contact with the teeth extending fromthe first surface 24 of the dual sided connector 10. The compositeassembly 56 is arranged in this manner so that the dual sided connector10 does not cover a joint 68 between two boards 58 in both the firstlayer 64 and the second layer 72. The staggering of the joints 68 acrossthe layers (64, 72, 74) promotes strength in the fully constructedcomposite assembly 56. Each staggered joint 68 of one layer is matchedwith a face of a single wood board 58 of the next layer. Therefore, eachdual sided connector 10 of the composite assembly 56 attaches threeboards together.

The wood boards 58 are constructed such that a wood grain 70 runsgenerally along the length of each of the boards 58. In a further aspectof the disclosure, the dual sided connector 10 is aligned over the joint68 between the boards 58 such that the dual sided connector 10 is squarewith each of the boards 58 and evenly disposed over the boards 58 of thejoint 68. Furthermore, the dual sided connector 10 is arranged with theelongated profile 44 of each of the teeth of the dual sided connectoraligned generally parallel with the wood grain 70 of the boards 58. Asimilar alignment exists between the dual sided connector 10 and thewood board 58 of the second layer 72, aligned in face-to-facerelationship with the first layer 64. Therefore, the elongated profile44 of the teeth of the dual sided connector 10 is also aligned generallyparallel with the wood grain 70 of the board 58 of the second layer 72.

While it is understood that the teeth of the dual sided connector 10 aretwisted as disclosed above and the grain of the wood boards 58 isgenerally variable, and therefore the twisted teeth will generally notbe perfectly parallel with the grain 70 of the wood board 58, becausethe twist angle 54 of each of the teeth is less than 45 degrees and thewood grain 70 runs generally parallel to the length of each of theboards 58, if the dual sided connector 10 is square with the board 58,there will be a preferred orientation in which the elongated profile 44of the teeth of the dual sided connector 10 are more generally parallelwith the wood grain 70 and an alternative, less favored orientation inwhich the elongated profile 44 of the teeth of the dual sided connector10 are more generally perpendicular to the wood grain 70 of the boards58. The general alignment of the elongated profile 44 of each of theteeth of the dual sided connector with the wood grain 70 of the boards58 improves the resulting penetration of the teeth into the wood boards58 as will be described in further detail herein.

It is understood that in alternative embodiments, the dual sidedconnector 10 may be aligned such that the elongated profile 44 at thebase of the teeth is generally parallel with the wood grain 70.Alternatively still, the elongated profile 44 of each of the teeth atthe tip (40, 42) may be aligned generally parallel with the wood grain70.

Once the wood boards 58 and the dual sided connector 10 have beenarranged as disclosed, a compressive force is applied to the wood boards58 of the composite assembly 56. This presses the dual sided connector10 into the wood boards 58 of both of the layers. The alignment of theteeth of the dual sided connector 10 in general alignment with the woodgrain 70 of the wood boards 58 as well as the tips (40, 42) of the teethof the dual sided connector 10 and the offset orientation of the tips(40, 42) of the teeth (18, 20) in each tooth pair 22 of the dual sidedconnector 10 promote the penetration of the teeth into the wood boards58. This allows for the dual sided connector 10 to embed into the woodboards upon compression of the composite assembly 56 such that the dualsided connector 10 is not visible in the completed composite assembly56. Rather, the teeth and the base plate 12 of the dual sided connector10 are embedded between the layers (64, 72, 74) of the wood boards 58.The twisting of each of the teeth of the dual sided connector 10 helpsto limit any splitting of the wood boards 58 along the grain of the wood70 as the teeth enter the wood offset from parallel with the wood grain70. Yet, the twist angle is acute enough such that the teeth do notenter the wood substantially perpendicular to the wood grain 70 andtherefore desirable penetration is achieved into the wood boards 58. Thedual sided connector 10 exhibits an improved gripping ability as thetwisted teeth are more resistant to loosening over time than straightteeth

Embodiments of the composite assembly 56 may include multiple layers tothe composite assembly 56, which are represented by layer 74, in orderto create the desired width of the composite assembly 56. In theseembodiments, one or more additional dual sided connectors 10 may be usedto connect the layers of the composite assembly 56. In some embodiments,the outside layer (i.e. second layer 72) on either side of the compositeassembly 56 comprises a single integral board running the length of thecomposite assembly 56. One or more interior layers (i.e. first layer 64or third layer 74) may comprise a plurality of boards 58 in each layerextending to the desired total length of the composite assembly 56. Thispresents the advantage of reducing the cost of the composite assembly 56by using shorter, and therefore less expensive boards 58 on the interiorof the composite assembly 56, while the aesthetics of the compositeassembly 56 are promoted through the continuous outside facing boards.This eliminates visible joints 68 in the faces of the composite assembly56 and promotes the illusion that the composite assembly 56 is a singlepiece of material.

The composite assembly 56 therefore presents the advantages of having animproved aesthetic appearance as the improved penetration of the dualsided connectors 10 hide the dual sided connectors 10 in the interior ofthe composite assembly 56 by embedding the dual sided connectors 10 intothe boards 58 of the composite assembly 56. Also, the orientation of thetwisted teeth of the dual sided connector reduces the likelihood ofsplitting the boards 58 of the composite assembly 56 and thus moreconsistently produces an aesthetically pleasing composite assembly 56that is free of splits, cracks, or other defects due to the connectorplates. The composite assembly 56 further exhibits the advantage ofbeing stronger than previous composite assemblies as the improvedpenetration of the teeth and the twisted orientation of the teethprovide a tighter hold between the dual sided connector 10 and theboards 58 of the composite assembly 56. Additionally, the reducedsplitting experienced with the disclosed dual sided connector furtherimproves the overall strength and integrity of the composite assembly 56as splits or other flaws may create weak spots within the compositeassembly 56 that are aggravated in load bearing use.

It should be understood from the disclosure herein that manymodifications as would be recognized by one skilled in the art may bemade to the embodiments disclosed herein and will be considered to bewithin the scope of this disclosure. In this respect, the dual sidedconnector as disclosed herein may be constructed to any dimension as oneskilled in the art may deem suitable for the desired implementation anduse in constructing a composite assembly. In embodiments wherein thedual sided connector is to be embedded within the composite assembly andthus not visible in the finished composite assembly, it is understoodthat the dimensions of the dual sided connector would include those thatare smaller than the dimensions of the wood boards of which thecomposite assembly is comprised. It is further understood that thecomposite assembly may include a plurality of layers of wood boardsconnected by a plurality of dual sided connectors in order to form acomposite assembly having greater dimensions than those of the singlewooden boards.

The present disclosure contemplates a composite assembly 76 such as maybe used as a vertical support column in a residential buildingstructure.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the composite assembly 76 is comprised of aseries or plurality of opposing elongated layers 78, 80, 82 joinedtogether lengthwise thereof. Each of the layers 78, 80, 82 includes anupper elongated portion in the form of an elongated member 84, and alower elongated portion in the form of an elongated member 86. The upperand lower elongated portions 84, 86 are secured together in anend-to-end relationship at joints 88 by connector arrangements orconnectors 10 as previously described above. Top ends of the upperelongated portions 84 are typically used for supporting a superstructureof a building structure. Bottom ends of the lower elongated portions 86are embedded securely beneath a ground surface G. Each of the elongatedlayers 78, 80, 82 are joined together along opposed interior faces bythe connectors 10 at the joints 88 as well as at other locations spacedapart from and above the joints 88.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the upper elongated portions84 are constructed of a first material comprised of wood. In contrast,the lower elongated portions 86 are constructed of a second materialcomprised of a material other than wood. One example of a non-woodmaterial to be used is plastic; however, it should be understood thatthe second material is not limited exclusively to plastic, and that useof other non-wood materials in the lower elongated portions 86 iscontemplated as desired.

In the embodiments shown in FIG. 9, the upper elongated portions 84 forman upper assembly 92 constructed of single elongated member of wood,exemplarily untreated wood. A lower assembly 90 is constructed of thelower elongated portions 86 which are single members of a non-woodmaterial. It should be understood that the elongated portions 84, 86 mayalternatively be constructed of multiple elongated members joinedtogether suitably by connectors 10. For example, upper elongatedportions 84 may include more than one elongated member while lowerelongated portions 86 may remain fabricated of single elongated members.

As described above, in the embodiment of FIG. 9, the lower assembly 90is formed of elongated portions 86 embodied in individual elongatedmembers formed separately and individually from one another. In theembodiment of FIG. 10, the lower assembly 90 is formed together as asingle unitary structure of non-wood material.

In the representative composite assembly 76 of FIG. 9, the combinedlength of the elongated layers 78, 80, 82 is substantially equal. Forexample, each layer 78, 80, 82 has a total length of twenty feet with awidth of six inches and a depth of two inches. Layer 78 has an upperelongated portion 84 which is twelve feet in length, and a lowerelongated portion 86 which is eight feet in length. Layer 80 has anupper elongated portion 84 and a lower elongated portion 86 which areeach ten feet in length. Layer 82 has an upper elongated portion 84which is fourteen feet in length, and a lower elongated portion 86 whichis six feet in length. In this example, the joints 88 secured by theconnectors 10 are staggered which promotes strength in the fullyconstructed composite assembly 76. Additional configurations anddimensions of the composite assembly 76 are envisioned by thedisclosure. For example, one or more of the layers 78, 80, 82 may beelongated in a single elongated member constructed of plastic or anothernon-wood material throughout its length. At least two of the elongatedlayers 78, 80, 82 have upper elongated portions 84 comprised of wood,and lower elongated portions 86 comprised of a non-wood material.

FIGS. 11-15 illustrate a further embodiment of a composite assembly 94such as may be used as a vertical support column in a buildingstructure. The building structure may be a residential, commercial, orindustrial building structure. The composite assembly 94 is comprised ofa series of opposing elongated layers 96, 98, 100 joined togetherlengthwise thereof. Each of the layers 96, 98, 100 includes an upperelongated portion in the form of an elongated member 102 which istypically constructed of a first material comprised of wood, such asuntreated wood. The upper elongated portions 102 together collectivelyform an upper assembly 104. Top ends of the upper elongated portions 102are typically used for supporting a superstructure of a building.

The composite assembly 94 also includes a unitary lower assembly 106having a flat lower end 107 embedded securely beneath the ground surfaceG. The lower assembly 106 is constructed of a second material which is anon-wood material such as plastic, although other non-wood materialsbesides plastic may be used. The lower assembly 106 has a central region108 which is provided with reinforcing structure in the form of a pairof spaced apart reinforcing rods 110 as best seen in FIGS. 13 and 14.The rods 110 are typically embodied as rebar constructed of one-halfinch diameter steel which extend longitudinally through the centralregion 108 of the lower assembly 106 from a flat upper end 111 thereofto and beneath the flat lower end 107 thereof for embedding in theground. Each of the rods 110 is preferably formed with bends 112extending inwardly a similar distance, exemplarily one foot, from theupper and lower ends 111, 107, respectively, of the lower assembly 106to facilitate the securement of the rods 110 within the lower assembly106 such as during formation of a plastic or other non-wood lowerassembly 106. In an exemplary embodiment wherein the lower assembly 106is a plastic composite material, the lower assembly 106 may be cast ormolded around the rods 110. In such embodiments, the bends 112 mayfunction to keep the rods 110 from separating from the lower assembly106 during use.

In an exemplary embodiment, the reinforcing rods 110 further extend outfrom the lower end 107 in projections 109. The projections 109 mayexemplarily bend or angle away from one another and the generallyparallel orientation of the reinforced rods 110 when extending throughthe lower assembly 106. In an embodiment, the projections 109 extend ina generally perpendicular direction from the rest of the reinforcing rod110 and extend in such direction beyond a width of the lower assembly106. As depicted in FIG. 11, the lower assembly 106 may be securedwithin a footing F beneath the ground surface G. In an example, thefooting F is a poured concrete footing. The projections 109 extend intothe footing F and further facilitate to secure the lower end 107 of thelower assembly 106 in position beneath the ground G.

At least two of the elongated layers 96, 98, 100 have upper elongatedportions 102 comprised of wood, and the lower assembly 106 comprised ofa non-wood material, such as a solid plastic core.

The upper elongated portions 102 and various height portions of thelower assembly 106 are joined together in an end-to-end relationship atjoints 114, 116, 118 by connector arrangements formed by respectivepairs of connector plates 120, 122, splice plates 124, 126 anddeflection plates 128, 130. The joints 114, 116, 118 are staggered inheight relative to one another as in the composite assembly 76 of FIGS.9 and 10 to promote strength in the composite assembly 94. The joint 114is formed between a flat lower end 132 of the upper elongated portion102 of layer 98 and the flat upper end 111 of the central region 108 ofthe lower assembly 106. The joint 116 is formed between a flat lower end134 of the upper elongated portion 102 of layer 96 and an inwardlyextending ledge 136 formed on the lower assembly 106. The joint 118 isformed between a flat lower end 138 of the upper elongated portion 102of the layer 100 and an inwardly extending ledge 140 of the lowerassembly 106.

The plates 120, 122 define a first plate structure, take the form ofdual-sided connectors 10 as described above and are used to join theelongated layers 96, 98, 100 along opposed interior faces thereof. Inthe examples shown, each of the plates 120, 122 have equal lengths withthe plates 120, 122 lying parallel to each other and with their upperand lower ends in staggered relationship relative to one another. Theplate 120 and plate 122 extend the lengths of respective sides of thecentral region 108, the joint 114 continue along the elongated layer 98.Elongated layer 96 is secured to the plate 120. Elongated layer 100 issecured to the plate 122. As best depicted in FIG. 12, the plate 120 ispositioned across the joint 114 and has a lower end 142 which extends toand terminates at the joint 116. It is to be recognized that inalternative embodiments, the plate 120 terminates shortly before thejoint 116. The plate 122 is positioned across the joint 114 and has alower end 144 which extends to and terminates at the joint 118. It is tobe recognized that in alternative embodiments, the plate 122 terminatesshortly before the joint 118.

The splice plates 124, 126 define a second plate structure and arepreferably configured with single-sided connectors formed with teeth 146only on an inwardly facing surface of a base plate 147. The plates 124,126 are of equal length, lie parallel to one another and have upper andlower ends which are in staggered relationship relative to one another.The plate 124 is centered lengthwise across the joint 116 along exteriorside faces of the layer 96 and the lower assembly 106. A screw fastener148 is passed through an upper end of the plate 124, the layer 96 andthe plate 120, and is secured in the central region 108 of the lowerassembly 106 to anchor the plate 124 on the composite assembly 94 suchthat the teeth 146 penetrate the exterior side faces of the layer 96 andthe lower assembly 106 above and below the joint 116. This furtherserves to secure the flat lower end 138 to the lower assembly 106, andparticularly to the central region 108. The plate 126 is centeredlengthwise across the joint 118 along exterior side faces of the layer100 and the lower assembly 106. A screw fastener 150 is passed throughthe plate 126, the layer 100 and the plate 122, and is secured in thecentral region 108 of the lower assembly 106 beneath the joint 116.Another screw fastener 152 is passed beneath screw fastener 150 throughthe plate 126, the layer 100 and the plate 122, and is secured in thecentral region 108 of the lower assembly 106. The screw fasteners 150,152 fix the plate 126 on the composite assembly 94 such that the teeth146 penetrate the exterior side surfaces of the layer 100 and the lowerassembly 106 above and below joint 118. This further serves to securethe lower end 134 of the upper elongated portion 102 to the lowerassembly 106, and particularly to the central region.

The deflection plates 128, 130 as best seen in FIG. 14 define a thirdplate structure. The deflection plates 128, 130 are similar tosingle-sided connector plates 124, 126 and are formed with teeth similarto teeth 146 on only an inwardly facing surface of the plates 128, 130.The plates 128, 130 are exemplarily of equal length and lie parallel toone another. Embodiments of the deflection plates 128, 120 haverespective upper and lower ends as well as side edges which are alignedwith one another. The plates 128, 130 are both centered lengthwiseacross the joint 118, and are suitably fixed such as by applying asuitable force causing the teeth to be retained in the front and backsurfaces of the layers 96, 100 and the lower assembly 106. In theexample shown, the upper ends of the plates 128, 130 extend above thejoint 116, and the lower ends of the plates 128, 130 extend beneath thejoint 118. The width of the plates 128, 130 extend substantially acrossthe width of the composite assembly 94.

FIGS. 16-19 depict a still further embodiment of a lower assembly 160 asmay be used in connection with embodiments of the assemblies aspresently disclosed. It will be recognized that like reference numeralsare used in FIGS. 16-19 as in other previously described figures todenote like structures. This is done for the purpose of conciseness andto highlight features shown in FIGS. 16-19. It will be recognized thatvarious combinations of features of the embodiments as disclosed in thepresent application may be used while remaining within the scope of thepresent disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment, at least a portion ofthe lower assembly 160 includes at least four reinforcing rods 162. Asbest depicted in FIGS. 16, 17, and 19 in an area between the lower end107 and the upper end 111, and particularly below ledges 136 and 140,two reinforcement rods 162 angle away from the center of the lowerassembly 160 and run parallel to one another along a portion of thelength of the lower assembly 160. In an exemplary embodiment, the centerof the lower assembly 160 is approximated by the center region 108. Inan exemplary manufacture of an exemplary embodiment as disclosed herein,the plastic and/or composite material of the lower assembly 160 mayexemplarily be cast or molded about the reinforcing rods 162.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 16 as denoted by line17-17 in FIG. 16. In FIG. 17, the reinforcing rods 162 angle away from arod upper portion 164, which is exemplarily aligned along a center ofthe lower assembly 160 and center region 108. In the embodimentdepicted, the reinforcing rods 162 angle away at a 45 degree angle.However, it will be recognized that this angle may be within a varietyof other angles including 20 degrees, 70 degrees or other anglestherebetween. Additionally the angles may be between 10-80 degrees orother angles. In one embodiment, one of the reinforcing rods 162 is anelongated rod 166 that extends the entire length of the lower assembly160, and may exemplarily end at the lower end in the projections 109.The elongated rods 166 thus make up the upper rod portion 164. A supportrod 168 connected at connecting points 170, which may exemplarily be endwelds, to the elongated rod 166 and extend within at least a portion ofthe lower assembly 160. The support rod 168 may end at connection point170 at a lower portion 172 of the elongated rod 166. FIG. 18 is asectional view taken along line 18-18 and depicts the two reinforcingrods 162 extending within the center region 108. FIG. 19 is a sectionalview taken along line 19-19 and depicts four reinforcing rods 162extending within the lower assembly 160. In an exemplary embodiment, thereinforcing rods 162 as depicted in FIG. 19 may be located ¾ inch fromthe exterior sides of the lower assembly 160, although this is notintended to be limiting. In still further embodiments, one or more ofthe reinforcing rods 162 may include one or more bends (not depicted)such as exemplarily depicted in FIG. 13 and described above. In anotherembodiment (not depicted), both rods continue through the center regionas a rod pair. In a still further embodiment, all four of thereinforcing rods may extend as projections 109 out from the lower end107.

FIG. 20 depicts an embodiment of the unitary lower assembly 106 a havingmultiple reinforcing rods 110, including center reinforcing rods 110 aand side reinforcing rods 110 b. One or more center reinforcing rods 110a extend longitudinally along the central region 108 of the unitarylower assembly 106 a. As depicted in FIGS. 21 and 22, the centerreinforcing rods 110 a may further extend out of the central upper end111 of the central region 108, which can provide further strength at theattachment joint 114 between the lower end 132 of a central layer 98 ofthe upper elongated portion 102. Alternatively or additionally, the oneor more center reinforcing rods 110 may extend out of the flat lower end107 of the unitary lower assembly 106 a in order to form one or moreprojections 109, which can facilitate structural attachment to thefooting F. The central region 108 may be provided with two centerreinforcing rods 110 a extending the length of the center region 108 andconnected by a center plate 123 between the two center reinforcing rods110 a. For example, the center plate 123 may be comprised of metal andmay be welded to the center reinforcing rods 110 a, which mayexemplarily be constructed of rebar, such as one-half inch diametersteel rods.

In accordance with the description above, the unitary lower assembly 106a may be provided with two side regions 115 and 117 on either side ofthe central region 108. An upper end of each of the side regions 115 and117 may terminate in a flat ledge, with side region 115 terminating atledge 136 and side region 117 terminating in ledge 140. The ledges 136and 140 are at a lower position than the central upper end 111, and areat staggered heights with respect to one another, with ledge 136 beingat a higher point than ledge 140, such that the unitary lower assembly106 a has a teared upper end with each region 111, 115, 117 having anupper end terminating at a different height.

The side regions 115, 117 may each be provided with a side reinforcingrod 110 b therein. The side reinforcing rods 110 b may each have anupper end connecting at a rod joint 121 with one of the centerreinforcing rods 110 a. As pictured in FIG. 21, each side region 117 mayhouse two side reinforcing rods 110 b, one extending off of each of thetwo center reinforcing rods 110 a. Accordingly, each center reinforcingrod 110 a has two side reinforcing rods 110 b extending therefrom, oneinto each side region 115, 117. The side reinforcing rods 110 b in theside region 115 may be longer and join with the center reinforcing rod110 a at a higher point than the side reinforcing rods 110 b in theother side region 117. The side reinforcing rods 220 b may extend atapproximately a 90° angle from the rod joint 121 with the centerreinforcing rod 110 a. The side reinforcing rods 110 b may then bend atanother 90° angle such that they generally run parallel with the centerreinforcing rods 110 a.

The side reinforcing rods 110 b may also extend out of the flat lowerend 107 of the unitary lower assembly 106 a in order to form projections109, which may further facilitate connection of the unitary lowerassembly 106 a to the footing F. FIG. 22 demonstrates this arrangement.The side reinforcing rods 110 b may be of any metal or otherconstruction which may provide structural reinforcement to the unitarylower assembly 106 a. In an exemplary embodiment, the side reinforcingrods 110 b may be comprised of rebar, such as one-half inch steel bar.In another embodiment, the side reinforcing rods 110 b may be comprisedof a thinner steel rod than the center reinforcing rods 110 a, such asthe center reinforcing rods 110 a being one-half inch steel rods and theside reinforcing rods 110 b being one-third inch steel rods. FIG. 22depicts the unitary lower assembly 106 a of FIG. 21 joined with theupper assembly 104, which is comprised of upper elongated portions 96,98, and 100. The upper elongated portions, or layers, 96, 98, and 100are connected together via connectors plates 120, 122, as is describedabove. In addition to the connector plates 120, 122, the connectorarrangements which connect the upper assembly 104 and the unitary lowerassembly 106 a further include splice plates 124 and 126, screwfasteners 148 and 149 to fasten the splice plate 124 to the exteriorsite faces of the layer 96 and the unitary lower assembly 120 acrossjoint 116, and screw fasteners 150 and 152 that fasten splice plate 126to the exterior site faces of the layer 100 and the unitary lowerassembly 106 a across joint 118. In the depicted embodiment, screwfasteners 148 and 149 go through the splice plate 26 and the connectorplate 120 to penetrate the central region 108 of the unitary lowerassembly 106 a to engage the center plate 123. Similarly, screwfasteners 150 and 152 go through splice plate 126, elongated layer 100,center region 108, and engage the center plate 123. Thereby, theconnector arrangement engages the center plate 123, which providesadditional stability to the joint of the unitary lower assembly 106 aand the upper assembly 104. As shown in FIG. 22, the connectorarrangement may further include additional screw fasteners 145 thatpenetrate two or more of the elongated portions 96, 98, 100 and theconnector plates 120, 122 there between, and further attach to thecentral region 108 of the unitary lower assembly 106 a. Four additionalscrew fasteners 145 are shown, with two on each lateral side of theupper assembly 104. Each set of two screw fasteners go through arespective elongated portion 96, 100 and penetrate a the center plytongue that makes up the upper portion of the center region 108 (theportion of the center region 108 between the ledge 136 and the centralupper end 111). In one exemplary embodiment, the screw fasteners 145,148, 149, 150, 152 may be 5/16 inches by 4 inch structural screws.

The upper assembly 104 is made of wood, such as untreated wood, and theunitary lower assembly 106 a is a unitary construction formed of anymaterial other than wood. In one embodiment, the unitary lower assembly106 a is comprised of a solid plastic material or of a composite plasticmaterial. For example, the unitary lower assembly 106 a may be a solidplastic material made of curbside tailings and/or other industrialplastic waste material, which provides a useful application for materialthat would otherwise be discarded in landfills. In one exemplaryembodiment, the solid plastic material is heated and the unitary lowerassembly 106 a is constructed by molding the plastic material around thereinforcing rod(s) 110, such as center reinforcing rods 110 a and sidereinforcing rods 110 b.

This written description uses examples to disclose various embodimentsincluding the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to make and use these embodiments. The patentable scope is definedby the claims and may extend to include other examples not explicitlylisted that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples areintended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structuralelements that do not differ from the literal language of the claim, orif they include equivalent elements with insubstantial differences fromthe literal languages of the claims. FIGS. 20-22 illustrate anotherembodiment of a composite assembly having a unitary lower assembly 106,such as may be made of a plastic material. Various alternatives andembodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the followingclaims, particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subjectmatter of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A composite assembly adapted for use as a supportcolumn in a building structure, the composite assembly comprising: aseries of elongated layers joined together lengthwise thereof, at leasttwo of the elongated layers each having an upper elongated portion and alower elongated portion secured together in an end-to-end relationshipat a joint therebetween by a connector arrangement; at least onereinforcing rod structure located within at least one of the lowerelongated portions; wherein the upper elongated portion of each of theat least two of the elongated layers is constructed of a first materialcomprised of wood; wherein the lower elongated portion of each of the atleast two of the elongated layers is constructed of a second materialcomprised of a material other than wood; wherein the series of elongatedlayers is joined together along opposed interior faces thereof by theconnector arrangement at locations spaced apart from the joints betweenthe upper elongated portion and the lower elongated portion; and whereinthe connector arrangement comprises a series of dual sided connectors,each connector including: a base plate having a first surface and asecond surface; a first tooth pair extending outwardly from the firstsurface of the base plate, the first tooth pair comprising a first toothand a second tooth, the first tooth and second tooth each having avertical axis perpendicular to the first surface of the base plate, thefirst tooth and second tooth being twisted about the vertical axis; anda second tooth pair extending outwardly from the second surface of thebase plate, the second tooth pair comprising a third tooth and a fourthtooth, the third tooth and fourth tooth each having a vertical axisperpendicular to the second surface of the base plate, the third toothand fourth tooth being twisted about the vertical axis.
 2. The compositeassembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcing rod structurecomprises a pair of first reinforcing rods located within at least oneof the lower elongated portions.
 3. The composite assembly of claim 2,further comprising a center plate located within at least one of thelower elongated portions and secured between the pair of firstreinforcing rods.
 4. The composite assembly of claim 3, wherein thelower elongated portions are jointly formed together in a unitary lowerassembly and the center plate is further located within a central regionof the unitary lower assembly.
 5. A composite assembly adapted for useas a vertical support column in a building structure, the compositeassembly comprising: a plurality of elongated upper portions; a unitarylower assembly secured in an end-to-end relationship with the pluralityof elongated upper portions at a joint therebetween by a connectorarrangement; and at least one reinforcing rod structure located withinthe unitary lower assembly; wherein the pluralities of elongated upperportions are constructed of a first material comprised of wood; whereinthe unitary lower assembly is constructed of a second material comprisedof a material other than wood; and wherein each joint between theelongated upper portions and the unitary lower assembly is staggered atdifferent heights relative to one another; wherein the at least onereinforcing rod structure extends longitudinally from an upper end of acentral region of the unitary lower assembly to at least a lower end ofthe central region, and the at least one reinforcing rod extendsexterior from the lower end in at least one projection.
 6. The compositeassembly of claim 5, wherein the at least one reinforcing rod structurecomprises a pair of first reinforcing rods and further comprising: acenter plate located within the unitary lower assembly and securedbetween the pair of first reinforcing rods.
 7. The composite assembly ofclaim 6, wherein the center plate is further located within a centralregion of the unitary lower assembly.
 8. The composite assembly of claim5, wherein the at least one reinforcing rod structure comprises a pairof first reinforcing rods and further comprising: a pair of secondreinforcing rods each respectively secured to one first reinforcing rodof the pair of first reinforcing rods.
 9. A composite assembly adaptedfor use as a vertical support column in a building structure, thecomposite assembly comprising: a plurality of elongated upper portions;a unitary lower assembly secured in an end-to-end relationship with theplurality of elongated upper portions at a joint therebetween by aconnector arrangement; and at least one reinforcing rod structurelocated within the unitary lower assembly; wherein the pluralities ofelongated upper portions are constructed of a first material comprisedof wood; wherein the unitary lower assembly is constructed of a secondmaterial comprised of a material other than wood; and wherein each jointbetween the elongated upper portions and the unitary lower assembly isstaggered at different heights relative to one another; wherein the atleast one reinforcing rod structure comprises a first reinforcing rodand a second reinforcing rod, each of the first and second reinforcingrod comprising an elongated rod and a support rod, the elongated rodhaving an upper portion and a lower portion and the support rod securedto the elongated rod, and the elongated rod and the support rod areangled with respect to the upper portion and the lower portion of theelongated rod.
 10. The composite assembly of claim 9, further comprisinga center plate located within the unitary lower assembly and securedbetween the first reinforcing rod and the second reinforcing rod.
 11. Acomposite assembly adapted for use as a vertical support column in abuilding structure, the composite assembly comprising: a plurality ofelongated upper portions; a unitary lower assembly secured in anend-to-end relationship with the plurality of elongated upper portionsat a joint therebetween by a connector arrangement; at least onereinforcing rod structure located within the unitary lower assembly; afirst plate structure, centered lengthwise on a first joint andterminating at a second joint, the series of elongated layers joinedtogether along opposed interior faces thereof by the connectorarrangement in the form of the first plate structure; and a second platestructure centered lengthwise on the second joint and positioned on sidesurfaces of the upper elongated portion of the unitary lower assembly,at least two of the elongated upper portions secured to the unitarylower assembly by the connector arrangement in the form of the secondlate structure; wherein the pluralities of elongated upper portions areconstructed of a first material comprised of wood; wherein the unitarylower assembly is constructed of a second material comprised of amaterial other than wood; and wherein each joint between the elongatedupper portions and the unitary lower assembly is staggered at differentheights relative to one another.
 12. The composite assembly of claim 11,wherein the at least one reinforcing rod structure comprises a pair offirst reinforcing rods and further comprising: a pair of secondreinforcing rods each respectively secured to one first reinforcing rodof the pair of first reinforcing rods.
 13. A composite assembly adaptedfor use as a support column in a building structure, the compositeassembly comprising: a series of elongated layers joined togetherlengthwise thereof, at least two of the elongated layers each having anupper elongated portion and a lower elongated portion secured togetherin an end-to-end relationship at a joint there between by a connectorarrangement; at least one reinforcing rod structure located within atleast one of the lower elongated portions, the at least one reinforcingrod structure comprising a pair of first reinforcing rods located withinat least one of the lower elongated portions; a pair of secondreinforcing rods each respectively secured to one first reinforcing rodof the pair of first reinforcing rods; and a pair of third reinforcingrods each respectively secured to one first reinforcing rod of the pairof first reinforcing rods; wherein the upper elongated portion of eachof the at least two of the elongated layers is constructed of a firstmaterial comprised of wood; and wherein the lower elongated portion ofeach of the at least two of the elongated layers is constructed of asecond material comprised of a material other than wood.
 14. Thecomposite assembly of claim 13, wherein the lower elongated positionsare jointly formed together in a unitary lower assembly, the pair ofsecond reinforcing rods extend within a first side region of the unitarylower assembly and the pair of third reinforcing rods extend within asecond side region of the unitary lower assembly.
 15. A compositeassembly adapted for use as a support column in a building structure,the composite assembly comprising: a series of elongated layers joinedtogether lengthwise thereof, at least two of the elongated layers eachhaving an upper elongated portion and a lower elongated portion securedtogether in an end-to-end relationship at a joint there between by aconnector arrangement; at least one reinforcing rod structure locatedwithin at least one of the lower elongated portions, the at least onereinforcing rod structure comprising a pair of first reinforcing rodslocated within at least one of the lower elongated portions; a pair ofsecond reinforcing rods each respectively secured to one firstreinforcing rod of the pair of first reinforcing rods; and wherein theupper elongated portion of each of the at least two of the elongatedlayers is constructed of a first material comprised of wood; and whereinthe lower elongated portion of each of the at least two of the elongatedlayers is constructed of a second material comprised of a material otherthan wood and the lower elongated portions are jointly formed togetherin a unitary lower assembly and the pair of first reinforcing rods eachinclude an upper portion that extends within a central region of theunitary lower assembly and a lower portion that extends within a firstside region of the unitary lower assembly, and the pair of secondreinforcing rods extend within a second side region of the unitary lowerassembly, the second side region opposite the first side region.
 16. Acomposite assembly adapted for use as a vertical support column in abuilding structure, the composite assembly comprising: a plurality ofelongated upper portions; a unitary lower assembly secured in anend-to-end relationship with the plurality of elongated upper portionsat a joint therebetween by a connector arrangement; at least onereinforcing rod structure located within the unitary lower assembly, theat least one reinforcing rod structure comprising a pair of firstreinforcing rods; a pair of second reinforcing rods each respectivelysecured to one first reinforcing rod of the pair of first reinforcingrods; and a pair of third reinforcing rods each respectively secured toone first reinforcing rod of the pair of first reinforcing rods; whereinthe pluralities of elongated upper portions are constructed of a firstmaterial comprised of wood; wherein the unitary lower assembly isconstructed of a second material comprised of a material other thanwood; and wherein each joint between the elongated upper portions andthe unitary lower assembly is staggered at different heights relative toone another.
 17. The composite assembly of claim 16, wherein the pair ofsecond reinforcing rods extend within a first side region of the unitaryassembly and the pair of third reinforcing rods extend within a secondside region of the unitary assembly.
 18. A composite assembly adaptedfor use as a vertical support column in a building structure, thecomposite assembly comprising: a plurality of elongated upper portions;a unitary lower assembly secured in an end-to-end relationship with theplurality of elongated upper portions at a joint therebetween by aconnector arrangement; at least one reinforcing rod structure locatedwithin the unitary lower assembly, the at least one reinforcing rodstructure comprising a pair of first reinforcing rods; a pair of secondreinforcing rods each respectively secured to one first reinforcing rodof the pair of first reinforcing rods; and wherein the pluralities ofelongated upper portions are constructed of a first material comprisedof wood; wherein the unitary lower assembly is constructed of a secondmaterial comprised of a material other than wood; wherein each jointbetween the elongated upper portions and the unitary lower assembly isstaggered at different heights relative to one another; and wherein thepair of first reinforcing rods each include an upper portion thatextends within a central region of the unitary lower assembly and alower portion that extends within a first side region of the unitarylower assembly, and the pair of second reinforcing rods extend within asecond side region of the unitary lower assembly, the second side regionopposite the first side region.
 19. A composite assembly adapted for useas a vertical support column in a building structure, the compositeassembly comprising: a plurality of elongated upper portions eachconstructed of a first material comprised of wood; a unitary lowerassembly secured in an end-to-end relationship with the plurality ofelongated upper portions at a joint therebetween by a connectorarrangement, the unitary lower assembly constructed of a second materialcomprised of a material other than wood; and at least one reinforcingrod structure located within the unitary lower assembly and comprising apair of first reinforcing rods and a center plate secured between thepair of first reinforcing rods; wherein each joint between the elongatedupper portions and the unitary lower assembly is staggered at differentheights relative to one another.